Usurper of the Sun (26 page)

According to Igor, this maneuver was the biggest climax of the mission, save releasing the booster unit. Aki was surprised that the rendezvous and its potential outcome was less important to Igor than the vehicular maneuvers and the jettisoning of the boosters. As the 130-meter
Phalanx
made its about-face, the laser communications system—which had to remain pointing at four distinct locations in the inner solar system—and the thirty-seven high-gain antennae, the five deep-space telescopes, and several hundred sensors all needed to turn in sync in order to remain pointing at their respective targets. Despite attempts to avoid creating blind spots, some devices would need to be switched to auxiliary systems, many of which were located on the opposing side of the ship to provide fail-safes. Finally, once the half turn was complete, the two main engines were set to match the Builders’ deceleration of 1/100 of a G. For Igor, coordinating the dozens of elements essential to the maneuver was as exhilarating as singing a solo at Carnegie Hall.

“Rotation maneuver and deceleration synchronization complete, Commander,” Igor announced proudly. “A few minor glitches; nothing that impacts the mission.”

“Thank you, Igor. We could never have come this far without your skills and commitment to excellence,” Aki said.

“Only doing my job, Commander.”

“Well, to celebrate the completion of the operation, would you please announce our success to the world?”

“Me?”

“It would be a shame to let your sonorous voice go to waste,” Aki said.

Igor brought himself online with the communications network, cleared his throat and half-sang, in a rich baritone, “The UNSS
Phalanx
has completed rotation and deceleration synchronization. We will now enter the Contact Phase.”

THE PROBE HOUND
had been retrofitted with the same corrosion-retarding paint as the ships. Approaching the Builders’ vessel, the probe fired its jets to slow down relative to its target. To avoid any misinterpretations of hostility, the hound’s jet nozzles were configured in a V-shape, pointing at slight angles away from its line of flight. Between the two jets was a square screen five meters across that displayed a series of messages using all frequencies of visible light and in infrared to cover the entire spectra of light emitted by the Builders’ home star.

The ETICC was betting all its chips on this last ditch effort of communication. By displaying video directly instead of encoding the images in pulse modulation, the ETICC hoped its message might finally be conveyed.

The camera mounted on the probe did not have as high a resolution as the one on the
Phalanx
, but the closer proximity of twenty thousand kilometers made up for the difference. On the morning of July 28, Aki was in her cocoon reading a report on UNSDF observations while keeping an eye on a live feed from the probe. It was still several hours before the probe was to arrive. An alarm sounded and the monitoring system displayed a message.

Aki looked at the image from the probe. The nuclear pulse engine that had burned brightly in the center of the Torus was out. The engine area that had been masked by the blinding light of the blast was finally visible. It was an opening at least fifty meters across. The nuclear pulse engine used a bowl-shaped reflector with a focal point that emitted the energetic equivalent of a continuous series of detonations from small hydrogen bombs. This reflecting bowl made up most of the image that the probe’s camera could see. The dish was circumscribed with tiny protruding thorns that appeared to be a set of laser devices to contain and direct the destructive force generated by the explosions.

The opening began to close like an iris. While the size of the outer edge remained the same, the crimson color of the iris expanded inward, gradually taking on the shape of a half-sphere. The sunlight emanating from behind the right side of the vessel was partially blocked, creating a pattern of light and shadows on the area, giving it an eerie impression of depth. The iris continued to close until it was a tiny dark spot surrounded by crimson. To Aki, the image suggested the eye of a chameleon.

Aki looked into the eye. Chills ran through her. She had the unmistakable sensation that the eye was looking right back at her. The probe was positioned slightly off to the side but the opening seemed to be staring directly at the hound.

“It’s watching us.” As soon as Aki spoke into her mic, the image disappeared from the screen. Warning messages began to flash.

“All stations, report!” Before she finished her command to the crew, the computer system was displaying its quantitative analysis of the situation.

The computer system displayed the recorded video from a camera on the
Phalanx
. It showed the probe in flight then, suddenly, the image went completely white at the moment of the explosion as the imaging sensors clipped. When the video returned, the probe had been replaced by a visible explosion—one similar in appearance to the result of a nuclear detonation.

Aki played the video in slow motion. Probe, static, explosion—followed by a fluctuation in the nuclear pulse engine.

“It doesn’t make sense.”

“The probe’s communication systems stopped with no warning in just under five milliseconds,” Igor said.

“Could the probe’s engine have exploded?”

“Nil chance of that. The sensors would’ve picked up an initial change in temperature or pressure. The telemetry readings were normal right until the end.”

“There’s no doubt about it—the probe was intentionally destroyed,” Raul said.

Concerned that her disappointment was not appropriate to her role as commander, Aki did not respond, remaining silent even though a command was clearly expected.

“Aki! You loco? Snap out of it. We need to report this to the fleet.”

“It’s true. I’ll send the message.”

Even as she tried to accept what had happened, Aki sent a voice recording to the rest of the fleet.

“Priority message from the UNSS
Phalanx
. It appears that the hound was attacked as it approached the alien vessel at a distance of fourteen thousand kilometers. Observations indicate that the blast from the nuclear pulse engine was concentrated into an intense beam directed at the probe.”

Just then, the warning again appeared on Aki’s screen.

The iris dome that had closed over the engine opened. Once the dome had fully retracted, the nuclear pulse engine began to fire, obscuring the view of the center of the Torus.

“Had the probe been approaching head-on, that beam would’ve passed right through the hound and destroyed us too,” Igor said. Since taking the most direct route between the two ships would have required the probe to pass through the propulsion blast of the Builders’ ship, the probe had been programmed to travel perpendicularly and then approach at an angle.

“So their policy is shoot first, questions never?” Raul asked. “I guess their ship is as trigger-happy as the Ring’s graser system.”

“The probe was slowing down and displaying the visual message. There is no way they thought it was an asteroid. Why weren’t they interested in what the probe was or what its message meant?” Aki asked.

“Our only option is the
Remora
,” Igor said. The
Remora
was the transport vehicle designed to bring the Contact Team to the Builders’ ship. It could be operated either remotely or by a pilot who was on board.

“Just a minute. If they blow up the
Remora
, there’s no way to board their ship. Any way we can maneuver the
Phalanx
close enough to board directly?” Aida asked.

“No. If the
Remora
’s destroyed we’ll have no choice but to terminate the contact mission,” Aki stated. She knew that destruction of the
Remora
would be interpreted by the UNSDF as unequivocal proof of hostility. Warmongers would already try to use the lost hound as an excuse. Any further act of aggression would offer full justification to proceed with their attack.
Why did they destroy it?
The
Remora
lacked a message screen, which made the
Remora
even more likely to be taken as a threat by the Builders. “What other choice do we have, Aida?”

Aida remained silent. There weren’t any other choices, and all five crewmembers knew it.

After the twenty-minute time lag passed, UNSDF Fleet Headquarters responded:

“Prepare to send the
Remora
unmanned. If it is destroyed, abort the contact mission.”

The clock of their allotted twenty hours was about to start ticking. Aki had little time to make a decision.

“Aida, Joseph, Raul, remove the equipment aboard the
Remora
. Risking the
Remora
might provide an answer on how to approach the ship safely. Igor, program the
Remora
to make the approach. I will tell you what I want her to do.”

THIRTY MINUTES LATER
, the unmanned
Remora
was released from the
Phalanx
. The ship was a cylinder four meters across and ten meters long. One end had an entry hatch, which had been purposely left open. The perimeter of the hatch was fitted with an extendable sealing ring to allow airtight docking with the Builders’ ship. The
Remora
was also equipped with thrusters on all sides to maximize maneuverability. In essence, it was a portable jet-powered airlock.

Igor had programmed it to fly at a ten degree angle away from its target for the first half of the trajectory and then to subtly point itself back on course during the second half, curving and approaching as indirectly as possible. It was unclear which would appear more threatening—flying on a direct course or appearing to be flying away and then changing course partway through. Aki decided to use the same approach as the probe even though that method had failed, only because a direct approach seemed even riskier.

At 5
PM
GMT, Aki watched the
Remora
from her cocoon. The ship made its roundabout way toward the Builders’ ship. She clenched her palms as it approached a distance of fourteen thousand kilometers. Nothing happened. Aki started to let out a yelp and then restrained herself.

Twelve thousand kilometers. Ten thousand. Nine thousand.

The nuclear pulse engine stopped, just like before. The iris reappeared around the engine.

“I just commanded the
Remora
to retreat,” Igor said.

Even if the
Remora
fired its front thruster at full force, that process would take several minutes to stop all forward motion.

Aki tensed again. She worried that she had marched the
Remora
to a firing squad. Losing the
Remora
would end any possibility of communicating with the Builders.

Alarms sounded and static appeared on the monitor. One glance and the dreams of Aki’s past four decades were ruined. A ball of white gas expanded from where the
Remora
had been. A loud shriek from Aida echoed over the comm system, and Aki’s spirits sank even lower.